Hi Everyone:
Please see below the following National Pride SVMC event spotlighting Latinx x LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals:
We are excited to invite you to a special online panel discussion exploring the intersections of Latinx and LGBTQ+ identities within the veterinary profession. This important conversation will spotlight the experiences, challenges, and successes of professionals navigating multiple identities in a field that is evolving to become more inclusive and representative.
Date: October 14th
Time: 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Location: Virtual Zoom link
Panel Theme:
“Orgullo, Raíces y Fuerza: Queer Latinx Voices in Veterinary Medicine”
During this panel, you’ll hear from a diverse group of speakers who will share their personal journeys, address issues of representation and equity, and discuss how identity impacts access, opportunity, and visibility within the field. Below are the personal bios of each of our speakers.
Val Wolfe
Veterinary Assistant
(They/Them/Theirs)
Val Wolfe (they/them) is a veterinary assistant by day and drag king by night (Valentino Verde). Their identities include nonbinary and bisexual within the queer community with Latine (Mexican) heritage. The only thing they've been doing for more years than drag is vet med. As a latine person in the field, they have a unique experience with regard to intersectionality as it pertains to serving pets and their humans. From cultural differences to the occasional language barrier, navigating veterinary medicine can be limiting for those who are not in the majority and Val is happy to shed light on that perspective.
~Francisco O. Conrado, DVM, MSc,
DACVP (Clinical Pathology)
Associate Professor at Cummings
School of Veterinary Medicine at
Tufts University
(he/him/his)
Francisco earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in his hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He completed a two-year residency in Clinical Pathology at the same institution before pursuing a Master’s in Molecular and Cell Biology at the Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba. He then completed a second Clinical Pathology residency at the University of Florida and became board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) in 2018.
Francisco is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where he directs the second-year Foundational Clinical Pathology course. His research focuses on diagnostic innovation and clinical applications in veterinary pathology, including cytologic and hematologic evaluations, infectious and neoplastic diseases, reference interval development, and the validation of novel diagnostic technologies. He is also interested in digital pathology and the refinement of laboratory data interpretation to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care.
Outside of work, Francisco enjoys exploring all that New England has to offer - hiking scenic trails, road-tripping through charming small towns, and visiting historic sites. He especially loves discovering new local breweries along the way, always with his spirited rescue tripod pit bull, Lt. Dan, as his travel companion.
~
Roger Ramirez-Barrios, DVM, MS,
PhD, DACVM (Parasitology)
Clinical Professor at the Virginia-
Maryland College of Veterinary
Medicine (VMCVM)
(he/him/his)
Dr. Roger Ramirez-Barrios is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM), Virginia Tech, and the Parasitology Section Head at the Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services. Originally from Venezuela, he received his DVM from the University of Zulia and his MS in Teaching from the University Simon Rodriguez, both in Venezuela, and his PhD in Veterinary Parasitology from the University of Cordoba, Spain. Recently, Dr. Ramirez’ duties at the VMCVM include teaching parasitology in the veterinary curriculum and parasitology to undergraduate students. Previously to his current appointment, Dr. Ramirez taught veterinary parasitology in the veterinary school at the Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela for 18 years.
~
Whether you identify with these communities or are seeking to be a stronger ally, this panel is a space to learn, reflect, and connect.
We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful conversation.
Student Chapter Coordinators